Chandler School of Nursing and Allied Health partner with Kansas Department of Corrections

The Pratt Community College Chandler School of Nursing and Allied Health has received approval from the Kansas State Board of Nursing to add 10 additional students to the LPN to RN online program. The additional students will be admitted into the July start class, beginning in 2010. They will be a part of the partnership between PCC and Kansas Department of Corrections to bring the opportunity to practice medical and surgical skills and decision making in El Dorado Correctional Facility. 
 
Under the leadership of Secretary of Corrections Roger Werholtz, KDOC launched Kansas Collaborative cross-government Breakthrough Teams to explore innovative approaches to addressing the shortage of nursing staff for KDOC facilities. Although, specifically designed to support the expansion of new nursing resources to rural areas, nursing students from around the state may participate. This Program model includes collaboration among three rural community colleges (Hutchinson Community College, Pratt Community College and Barton County Community College) and the KDOC. Current funding for this project is a total of $88,000 from Correct Care Solutions, an agency that provides nursing staff for KDOC, and KDOC combined.
 
The program with the three Community Colleges will encompass the following:
·         The partnership with Hutchinson and Pratt Community Colleges will provide an LPN to RN program for eight to 10   
          students annually at each community college (16 to 20 total). All of the theory and didactic will be online.  
·         The partnership with Barton County Community College will provide CNA to LPN education. Eight students could
          receive benefits from this additional program annually.
·         The KDOC will provide 24 hours of orientation and safety information to all participating nursing students and faculty. 
 
The 10 students chosen for the PCC program will have approximately 50 percent of their clinical hours, or a total of 19 days, at the El Dorado Correctional Facility. Clinical experiences will be in the community, ICU, Pediatrics and others will be held at various clinical sites in eastern Kansas. PCC is currently working with over 50 health care partners throughout Kansas to provide exceptional clinical experiences for nursing students. 
 
Since 2005, 80 students have been admitted annually into the LPN to RN online program; 40 in January and 40 in July each year. PCC’s online program admits students from all-over Kansas. 
 
“We were the first to offer a state-wide online LPN to RN program,” said Gail Withers, PCC’s Dean of Nursing and Allied Health. “We are now the largest nursing program in Kansas, and most importantly our graduates are getting a quality education. Last year 93 percent of the online graduates passed the NCLEX-RN® on their first attempt. That is above both the state and National average.”